Mini-Review: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Fangirl

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Pages: 445

My rating: 6 stars, special rating

GoodReads/ Amazon/ TBD

Summary:

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan...

But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories? And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

My thoughts.

I’ve always said that I wasn't the biggest fan of Eleanor & Park. I liked it, yes, but I didn't love it like everyone else.
That’s why I was really reluctant to read Fangirl. But one day, I just did.
I was just looking my “later” list on my kindle, and it caught my attention because I was bored and after the first chapter I couldn’t put it down.
For God’s sake, I don’t even know how to tell you how much I loved this book.
It’s realistic.
It’s funny.
It’s touching.
FANGIRL has those dialogues that I love from authors like John Green and Michelle Hodkin. They were smart, sarcastic and absolutely brilliant.
This book has amazing relationships: Cath and Wren. Cath and Nick. Cath and Levi. Cath and Reagan. Cath and her dad.
In fact, this book has absolutely wonderful characters and incredible descriptions of them.
Even those excerpts of Simon Snow were refreshing and amusing.
Rainbow Rowell’s writing is magnificent. Light and fast paced.

Even though it has more that 400 pages, the time flies. You end up wanting more.
Words cannot express how much this book melted my fangirl heart. This is a must read.

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Marden & Lis' Review: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Eleanor & Park

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Rating: 4 stars

GoodReads/ Amazon/ TBD

Two misfits.

One extraordinary love.

Eleanor... Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind him until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem drabber and flatter and never good enough...Eleanor.  

Park... He knows she'll love a song before he plays it for her. He laughs at her jokes before she ever gets to the punch line. There's a place on his chest, just below his throat, that makes her want to keep promises...Park.

Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.

 

Marden's Review

Sometimes, too much realism in fiction can be overwhelming.

The author is good in portraying the not-handsome boy and the not-hot girl in terms of physical descriptions--and I guess that's the only reason the novel can be described as realistic--but I did not find a way to be identified with these characters, even though they are not perfect (like me!).
Eleanor is a very self-seeking girl. She shows no compassion towards Park, instead she only seeks for passion in their relationship. On the other hand, Park is affectionate. He really cares for her, and their relationship as well.

As you see, I like Park but Eleanor, mmmmm not so much.
But beyond characters, I love the way the author narrates the story. The pace of Park-meets-Eleanor was great. The humor, and the mood was fantastic.

Verdict: Let's keep this book in the fiction section (yes, this goes for those who told me that it was a "very realistic" novel). 

Lis' Mini-Review. 

I enjoyed this book.
I really did. Though, I wasn't the biggest fan of Eleanor & Park.

You see, I do find this story realistic, specially the ending, but I had a hard time trying to connect with Eleanor. She wasn't not what I expected and I think that sometimes she didn't deserve Park's love.
What I can tell you is that the writing of this book is gorgeous. I adored the narration and the language, it was almost lyrical and beautiful.

Also, I loved the setting and the world-building (yes, it's in the past years, and it was as my parents told me). The mention of some great songs was also something I'm thankful for.
Eleanor & Park is a great book, a must read if you like the not-so-typical love story. And even if this is not your usual read, I bet you'll enjoy it anyway.

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